After visiting Isis and giving my return greetings to her and Lilliwood, there was only one place left to go.
It was the place where I had spent the most time in this world and where the majority of my friends lived—Lilia-san’s mansion.
Seeing the mansion from behind its ornate front gates filled me with a profound sense of nostalgia. A warm feeling welled up inside me; I was finally, truly home.
The female gatekeeper, clad in light armor, looked startled for a brief moment when she saw me. Then, a smile touched her lips as she wordlessly opened the gates and gave me a deep, respectful bow.
The fact that she opened the gates without first checking with Lilia-san, the master of the house, felt like her own silent way of saying "welcome home." It was a gesture that proved she didn't consider me an outsider, and it made me genuinely happy.
I gave her a small nod and stepped into the garden. Almost immediately, I heard heavy footsteps and the frantic beating of wings.
"Gauu!!"
"Kyukui!!"
"Bell! Rin! I’m ho—Wait! Stop! Get ba—Gwah!"
Bell and Rin charged at me with terrifying speed. I felt a surge of dread and tried to wave them off, but it was already too late. Rin slammed into my face, clinging to me with all her might, while Bell leaped onto me, pinning me to the grass under his massive frame.
"You're heavy! Hey, settle down!"
"Kuu."
"Kyu?"
For the two of them, their owner had been gone for two long years, so they were greeting me with everything they had. While it was heartwarming and adorable, there was one major problem: Bell.
Rin was fine; she was small enough that her enthusiasm wasn't a physical threat. Bell, however, stood about four meters tall. He was clearly trying to be careful, but in his excitement, he was putting far too much weight on me. I was genuinely afraid of being crushed.
As I struggled to soothe the two frolicking beasts, I heard a familiar voice accompanied by approaching footsteps.
"...Bell-chan, Rin-chan, what happened all of a sudd—!"
"A-Ahaha... sorry for the ungraceful reunion, Sieg-san."
Sieg-san had arrived, the Rainbow Dragon Sera perched on her shoulder.
It had only been two months for me, but it had been two years for her. As an elf, a member of a long-lived species, Sieg-san’s appearance hadn't changed at all in that time. Yet, perhaps because it had been so long since we last met, she looked even more beautiful than I remembered.
Sieg-san looked at me with a startled expression before a gentle smile graced her lips. She reached down to help me up.
"Welcome home, Kaito-san."
"I'm back."
I took her hand and stood, then naturally pulled her into an embrace. The faint, familiar scent of her citrus perfume drifted toward me.
Between her mature, calm elegance and the comforting warmth of her hands on my back, my heart began to race.
We held each other for a long while before eventually pulling back to look into each other's eyes.
"Ah, um... I should probably go greet Lilia-san as well."
Feeling a bit bashful, I tried to change the subject and started toward the mansion. Suddenly, I felt a tug on my clothes, and a second later, Sieg-san hugged me from behind.
"Sieg-san?"
"I know I'm being selfish. But... um... could we stay like this just a little longer?"
"Eh?"
"I want to be... with you, just the two of us... for a little while longer."
It was a request so modest it hardly qualified as selfish.
Her voice was sweet and clinging, a rare departure from her usual mature and composed self. Hearing her act so spoiled made me uncontrollably happy.
I took her hands as gently as I could, slowly turned around, and pulled her back into my arms.
"I’m more than happy to indulge that kind of selfishness. Let's stay like this for a bit."
"...Yes."
Sieg-san squeezed me tighter, and I returned the embrace with equal fervor. We held onto each other, neither of us wanting to let go of this blissful warmth for even a second.
"Kaito-san."
"Sieg-san."
We didn't need to talk; simply saying each other's names made my affection for her grow deeper. It was a strange, wonderful thing.
I still had many people to see, but my lovely girlfriend was being sweet to me. I wanted to treasure this time with Sieg-san. This moment was filled with an overwhelming sense of happiness.
I knew Sieg-san felt the same. As our lips met, drawn together by an irresistible pull, the reality of my return finally felt complete.